House Republicans rolled out legislation Monday evening that would make significant changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as the party seeks deep cuts to federal spending as part of a broader plan to advance President Trump’s legislative agenda.
The 97-page text from the House Agriculture Committee includes provisions that would require states to cover a portion of SNAP benefit costs, tighten eligibility requirements for the program, and seek to block the federal government from being able to increase monthly benefits in the future.
The panel is set to hold a meeting on the legislation later on Tuesday afternoon, with hopes to advance the text out of committee.
The measure comes as Republicans are assembling a sprawling package across multiple committees to enact Trump’s tax priorities, boost funding for defense and his deportation plans, and significantly cut federal spending.
For their role in the party’s overall goal to find more than a trillion dollars in savings, Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee were tasked with crafting recommendations for at least $230 billion in cuts.
The GOP-led committee touted the legislation on social media upon its rollout as a measure that would restore SNAP “to its original intent” and promote “work, not welfare—while saving taxpayer dollars and investing in American agriculture.”
While SNAP benefits are currently funded by the federal government, the proposal calls for the federal share of the cost of allotments to go from 100 percent in the next two fiscal years to 95 percent in fiscal year 2028 “and each fiscal year thereafter.”
It also includes language to increase the states’ 5 percent share of benefit costs in fiscal 2028 depending on its payment error rate. If the error rate is 6 percent or higher, states would be subject to a sliding scale that could see its share of allotments rise from a range of 15 to 25 percent.
Democrats have sharply criticized the proposal, which they argue could lead to states cutting benefits on their own.
The measure explicitly blocks the Department of Agriculture from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which is used to determine benefit amounts for the program, based on a reevaluation or other updates.
The proposal comes after Republicans have accused former President Biden of abusing his power when its 2021 TFP reevaluation led to a 21 percent increase in SNAP benefits, which they say goes against decades of precedent in ensuring cost-neutrality as part of the process.
But Democrats have previously pushed back against efforts that would rein in the administration’s ability to increase benefits, particularly as research has found millions were kept out of poverty after SNAP benefits were boosted during the coronavirus pandemic.
Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), chair of the committee, told The Hill ahead of the release that he expects the measure will “honor my principles I set forward in terms of facilitating a farm bill as the first principle.”
He added that he thinks the proposed changes will make a deal on a new farm bill “more likely” this year. Congress agreed to another extension of the 2018 farm bill as part of a larger government funding compromise last year after bipartisan talks on a new farm deal fell apart.
The bill would also decrease the administrative cost that the federal government is required to pay to help cover program operations in the states by 25 percent, yanks back some funds from Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, with a host of other farm provisions.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, warned on Monday night that the recent legislation unveiled by House Republicans, however, would make it harder for Congress to pass a bipartisan farm bill later this year.
“Instead of working with Democrats to lower costs from President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs, House Republicans have decided to pull the rug out from under families by cutting the SNAP benefits that 42 million Americans rely on to put food on the table – all to fund a tax cut for billionaires,” Klobuchar said in a statement.
“This means more seniors, veterans, people with disabilities and children will go to bed hungry. It means farmers, who are already operating on razor-thin margins, will see billions in lost revenue. It will mean job losses and lost wages for everyone who is a part of the food system – from truck drivers to local grocers,” she argued.
Julia Manchester contributed.
